Medford, Ore. – A new 18-hole championship golf course, designed by John Fought, a native Oregonian, is under construction and is scheduled to be open for play next spring.
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“We have had very little earth to move on the site,” Fought says. “The course will have beautiful views and is being designed in classic [Donald] Ross motif.”
The name “Centennial” was chosen because it recognizes that classic era of golf as well as the history of the site, says Kevin McLoughlin, executive director of Rogue Valley Manor.
Fought, a long-time admirer of Ross’ work, is coming off a restoration of Pine Needles in Southern Pines, N.C., one of Ross’ most popular golf course designs.
“Fought’s sensitive touch at Pine Needles should bring course developers to his doorstep,” wrote Lorne Rubenstein, golf columnist for The (Toronto) Globe and Mail. “They’ll find a man who knows how to design new courses and to restore old ones.”
Centennial Golf Club is a joint development project of Pacific Retirement Services and Rogue Valley Manor, both based in Medford. Pacific Retirement Services also operates Quail Point Golf Course, an existing nine-hole course, which, like Centennial, is part of the Rogue Valley Manor “campus.” OB Sports Golf Management, which manages numerous golf clubs on the West Coast, has been selected to manage Centennial G.C.
“John [Fought] has been intimately involved with Centennial from the beginning – he’s walked it from end to end every time he’s been here,” McLoughlin says. “We knew of John’s strong reputation in the Pacific Northwest, and it has been a great decision to move forward with him.”
Other courses in Oregon that Fought either collaborated on or designed on his own include:
Pumpkin Ridge, Ghost Creek and Witch Hollow courses (Cornelius, Ore.); Crosswater and Meadows at Sunriver Resort (Sunriver); The Reserve Vineyards & Golf Club (Hillsboro); and Langdon Farms Golf Club (Aurora).
In addition, Fought is part owner of Sundoon, a planned 18-hole course in The Dalles (Ore.) that is not yet under construction.
For additional information about John Fought Design, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., log onto www.foughtdesign.com.
More information about Centennial Golf Club can be obtained by calling Pacific Retirement Services at 800-848-7868 or 541-857-7028.